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Grade: all
Subject: Social Studies
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Here are a bunch of tropical ideas that I have gathered.
~Colleen
Hula Contest
Footprints in the Sand:
Tape a plastic drop cloth to the floor and tablecloth
or sheet of butcher paper on top of it. Pick at least three
colors of tempera paint and pour about ¼ inch of each into
large aluminum pans. Thin the paint with water if it's too
thick. Place pan on the drop cloth at one end of the
tablecloth. On the other side, set a chair, newspapers, and
towels next to a basin of warm, soapy water. One at a time
let each child put a barefoot into two colors of their
choice, hold their hands, because it is slippery. Let the
child walk to the other end of the 'beach' and step onto the
newspapers and wash off their feet.
The Shell Game:
Before hand make a betting board, mark off 3 4-inch
square on a strip of cardboard and write 1, 2, and 3 on
them. Set the betting board on the table in front of where
you will be shuffling the bowls. Give the children something
to wager with. Place a cork under one of 3 identical bowls
and start moving the shells around. Ask the children to
place their wager in the square in front of the bowl they
think hides the cork. Winners receive a token back, losers
pay the dealer.
Grass Skirts:
Take a large sheet of newsprint and place a piece of
masking tape 5-inches longer on either end than the long side
on either side. This forms the waistband. Then let the
children cut up to the waistband to create strips. Tie it
around the child's waist and you have a grass skirt. Even
Cooler: Cut off the bottom of Glad Trash Bag and cut long
strips one inch strips to within three inches of the pull
cord.
Limbo:
Find some limbo type music and a broomstick. Hold
the bar at the same height for everyone for each round. A
child who touches the bar or reaches down to touch the ground
is eliminated. For each new round lower the bar, until you
have a winner.
Leis:
1) Cut out paper flower shapes and punch holes in the
center then have the children string them with 1-inch pieces
of a plastic straw to separate them onto a piece of yarn.
Make sure the lei is large enough to fit over the child's
head. 2) Find a roll of adding machine tape, or cut a long
piece of butcher paper into 3-inch wide strips. Loosely roll
a strip so three or four fingers can fit in the hole in the
center. Hold the roll so the paper side, not the hole side,
is facing upward. Cut through the paper going slightly more
than half way through all of the papers. Bend the roll apart
in opposite directions. Hold the 'eye sockets' in one hand
and find the ends hidden inside. Start pulling the strips
until there is a long garland or lei. Tape the ends together
and wear.
Sand Pudding:
Make vanilla pudding, have the children crush up
vanilla wafers in a plastic bag and then put on the pudding.
Add gummy fish or worms.
Sun Visors:
Cut out the center of a paper plate. On a sheet on
construction paper make a visor shape and cut it out.
Decorate and glue on ring from paper plate. Use the center
of the plate to make fans for cooling off.
Hawaiian Matzah Fry:
5 matzah
1 C. crushed pineapple
¼ C. shredded coconut
3 eggs
2-3 T. margarine
2 T. sugar
¼ t. cinnamon
Crumble matzah into a bowl and add pineapple
juice. Beat eggs and add to matzah. Stir in coconut. Heat
butter or margarine in frying pan. Pour in matzah mixture
and brown on both sides. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Serves 4-6
Crab Races:
Have the children practice walking like crabs. Once
they are able to move in that position, they are ready to
race. They may have individual races or relay races. Race
both forwards and backwards.
Octopus Game:
Make a goal line at each end of the playing area.
Choose a child to be the octopus, the rest of the children
are fish. The object is for the octopus to catch the fish by
tagging them with a sponge ball. If a child get hit they
must freeze and become an octopus tentacle. The tentacle may
help by tagging with outstretched hands, but only the octopus
may move. Begin by having the octopus call out "fish, fish,
swim in my ocean." Children must try to cross without
getting caught.
Palm Trees:
Make newspaper trees by taking 3 sheets of newspaper
and roll them up overlapping as you go. Cut about 4 or 6
slashes 1/3 of the way down the top. Gently pull up on one
of the inside 'leaves' and then you have a paper tree. Paint
if desired.
Erupting Volcanoes:
Punch the bottom out of a paper cup invert it and
tape to the top of another cup. Place on a table with the
open end up. Pour in some vinegar/water with red food
coloring, then add a spoonful of baking soda and watch as
your volcano erupts.
Ocean in a Bag:
Add a large jar (.99c) of blue hair gel to a ziplock bag(or
even better if you have a vacuum sealer) Set in plastic sea
life and shells, seal the bag and let the children explore
the bag. They will have fun squishing it around. This can
lead to further discussion about the ocean.
Hawaiian Punch:
Equal parts of cranberry and orange juice or use your
favorite punch recipe.
Hawaiian Sundae:
Vanilla Yogurt, topped with choice of mandarin oranges,
pineapple, banana slices, coconut flakes... complete with
whipped crème and a cherry on top.Fruit Kabobs:
Fresh pineapple, melon, and berries stacked on skewers offer
a refreshing departure from the typical cake and ice cream
routine. You can have the skewers topped with tiny shells, as
it will become an unexpected but much appreciated party
favor. You can buy ready-made shell skewers or make a set of
your own by hot-gluing shells onto the ends of 8-inch bamboo
skewers.
Banana Boat Salad:
Need: Bananas, jam or jelly, cottage cheese, lettuce, and
cherries. Peel a banana and use a plastic knife to cut the
banana in half lengthwise. Place the banana on the lettuce
leaves in a bowl. Top it with cottage cheese, jam, and a
cherry.
Sailboat Sandwiches:
These clever snacks, filled with tuna and topped with a
Cheddar cheese sail, carry on the seaside theme. Crescent
dinner rolls, Tuna salad, Cheddar cheese, Toothpicks. Slice
the tops off the rolls and hollow them out. Fill the rolls
with the tuna salad or any other filling. Slice the cheese
into rectangles about 1/2 inch thick and cut the rectangles
on the diagonal to make triangles. Insert a toothpick into
each triangle to make little sails.
Play Tropical Island Memory:
"If I were stranded on a tropical island, I would take
along...a guitar, food, my best friend, a hammer for
coconuts..." Each kid adds one item in turn and has to
remember all the other things on the list.
Play Hawaiian Music:
Dance the hula, Tahitian dance, or any other island dance. Do
the limbo.
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